Rotary hot water and steam generator



1962 1.. A. HUETTNER 3,051,144

ROTARY HOT WATER AND STEAM GENERATOR Filed Oct. 6, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet l Qg- 19.62 L. A. HUETTNER 3,051,144

ROTARY HOT WATER AND STEAM GENERATOR Filed Oct. 6, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIYVENTOR.

l mlm Aug. 28-, 1962 1.. A. HUETTNER ROTARY HOT WATER AND STEAM GENERATOR Filed Oct. 6, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet .3

N T? IU MN M I A m n I I J NM. m I. m V H n Rh m m% NN a 1 E. k F .1 wk iv k Nllz]. A Q m wk ww If! k & u\ %w W J 2:2: A? H f M i mw w .f U M Wu? AW H //////////////////fi M M M- Q -m mi mwmm. H QM M mm 63 n .11. Q I [I]. Q l\. I ON. MUM .UNN. Nu & 14 f A I IW'H R 1 K u N m QM rm. s n E Aug. 28, 1962 1.. A. HUETTNER ROTARY HOT WATER AND STEAM GENERATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 6, 1958 3,051,144 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 fire 3,051,144 ROTARY HOT WATER AND STEAM GENERATOR Lothar A. Huettner, Portsmouth, R.I., assignor to Bynamic Engineering Corporation, Newport, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Oct. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 765,589 1 Claim. (Cl. 122-11) This invention relates to devices for heating water or to produce steam and more particularly to boilers which may consist of a boiler housing containing a rotary hot water or steam generator.

In the main, a conventional steam boiler consists of a heat exchange section and a heat transfer section. The former may comprise the furnace or the combustion chamber of the boiler where the combustible fuel such as coal, wood, gas or oil is burned. The latter may consist of a group of pipes passing lengthwise through the furnace. Cold Water is introduced into the pipes in the boiler and the combustible fuels in the furnace are ignited. On their way from the furnace to the atmosphere, the hot gases of combustion are passed along the length of the pipes in the boiler. In doing so, the hot gases heat the water in the pipes turning it to steam.

In the boiler above described, the water pipes are mounted in the boiler stationary to the boiler housing. In the present invention, the pipes are mounted upon an armature to rotate in the boiler. More particularly to the rotating armature, it may consist of a hollow chamber divided into two separate sections. Upon its outer perimeter, the rotary armature may be provided with a multitude of tubular members, preferably bent into a U. These U-shaped members are mounted upon the perimeter of the rotary armature in such a manner as to permit direct communication from one section in the armature to the other. By means of appropriate pipe connections, cold water is piped into one section of the rotary armature and is allowed to flow through the U-shaped tubular members into the other section.

In the present invention, the boiler housing is mounted vertically upon a structural frame and is provided with an electric motor coupled to the rotary armature in the boiler. By means of the electric motor the armature is rotated at high speed. The water in one of the sections in the rotary armature, because of the centrifugal forces produced by its rotation and acting upon it, tends to move away from the center of rotation, entering the U-shaped tubular members (communicating one section with the other), and emptying into the other section in the rotary armature.

Heating fuel oil is introduced in the boiler and ignited. The hot gases of combustion are directed against the tubular members in the rotary armature, while the armature is being rotated by the electric motor. The water, heated by the hot gases turns to steam (or hot water) and collects in one of the sections in the armature from which it may be drawn out at will to be used for commercial uses, such as operating steam engines and steam turbines, or heating in the case of hot water.

The above concise description of the rotary steam or hot water generator in the present invention illustrates the main dilferences between a conventional steam boiler and the rotary boiler herein described. Such a boiler may be called a turboboiler Referring more particularly to the turbo-boiler following objects may be apparent:

One object of this invention is to provide a circular boiler having a rotary armature which may be provided with a plurality of U-shaped tubular members into which cold water is piped and heated to hot water or steam.

Another object of this invention is to provide an upright structure to support a circular boiler and an electric motor; a rotary steam generator armature driven v the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, showing the relative position of i by the motor; upon its outer perimeter the armature being provided with tubes into which cold water is piped; the water in the tubes heated to steam with the armature rotated in the boiler, being driven by the electric motor.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for heating the water in the rotary armature and the tubular members respectively, said means comprising a fuel oil inlet and a rotary disk; the fuel oil being passed over the disk which by virtue of its rotation and its momentum develops a centrifugal force acting upon the fuel oil and tending to diffuse the oil into a fine mist; the diffused oil being mixed with atmospheric air is ignited; the hot gases of combustion being passed between the tubular members in the rotary armature to heat the water contained in the tubular members.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disk diffuser means to help turn the fuel oil into a fine mist or vapor before mixing the fuel with atmospheric air; and spark-plug means to ignite the combustible mixture.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a rotary hot water or steam generator having two separate sections or chambers, means for communicating one chamber with the other, means for introducing liquid in one chamber and generating hot water or steam in the other. The steam in one chamber being compressed by the pressure of the liquid in the other chamber, suchzpressure being produced by the centrifugal action upon the liquid, such action sealing the steam from escaping the chamber in which it is generated.

A still additional object of this invention is to provide an enclosed boiler having a rotary steam generating aIma-.

ture which comprises two separate chambers, communieating with each other; means for generating hot water or steam in one chamber and means for sealing the steam in said chamber by the pressure of the liquid created by the centrifugal force, to prevent the build up of steam pressure in the boiler where there exists a pressure differential between some part of the boiler and the steam pressure in the steam generating chamber.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary steam generator chamber and a fluid containing chamber, both communicating with each other; means for introducing a liquid into both chambers, meansfor heating the liquid in one chamber to produce hot water or stea'ni and means to rotate the chambers to create a centrifugal force in the liquid; the steam pressure in one chamberbe ing proportionate to the pressure in the liquid created by the centrifugal force in the" otherchambe'r. When both chambers rotate faster a greater centrifugal force being; generated in the liquid with a proportionately, greater steam pressure, and vice versal Other objects will become tion will proceed.

Referring to the figures: FIG. 1 is a front elevationof the turbo-boiler showing apparent asthe -speciticathe exhaust housing, the cover, the burner housing, the

boiler supportingframe and the electric motor to drive the rotor armature, also the V-beltdrive.

FIG. .2 is a plan view of the turbo-boiler shown in FIG.

1, showing the relative position of the boiler housing, the

water inlet, the hot Water or steam outlet, the piping connections, the various gages and the electric motor drive This view is partly brokenaway to show the heater elements in the boiler.

FIG. 3 is a section through the shaft support 'taken on the various parts of the motor drive.

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view partly broken away taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2, showing the relative position of the rotating armature with the U-shap-ed finned heater elements, the spiral-shaped exhaust housing, and

the water reservoir formed between the exhaust housing and the cover.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the burner housing showing the relative position of the rotor armature, the air inlet, the fuel inlet into combustion chamber, the fuel oil atomizer, and the spark-plug to ignite the combustible mixture of air and oil.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken through the oil atomizer ring showing the vanes acting as a blower to deliver air to the combustion chamber in the burner housing.

FIG. 7 is a view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6, showing the relation of the vanes of the blower and other details.

FIG. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 6, showing the position of the machined surfaces in the atomizer ring.

FIG. 9 is a section along line 9-9 of FIG. 8, showing the atomizer protrusions, the atomizer plate and the blower vanes.

FIG. 10 is a detail taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 5, showing the manner in which the air directional ducts in the burner housing are mounted. This view is slightly out of proportion to better show specific details.

FIG. 11 is a modification of the construction of the burner housing showing the manner in which the housing may be provided with an overflow to drain the oil from the burner housing.

Specifications Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, numeral 10 indicates the general configuration of the turbo-boiler housing with its supporting frame and motor drive. The boiler housing consists of three separately formed sections; the spiralshaped exhaust housing 11, the :burner housing 12 and the cover housing 13. The burner housing 12 is held upon a supporting frame 14 mounted to the drive shaft support 15. The electric motor 16, with its mounting bracket 17 is made fast to the shaft support by means of the mounting member 18. The drive-shaft 19, driving the boilers rotor armature (hereinafter described), is mounted vertically in respect to the armature. When the shaft rotates the armature rotates. The drive-shaft has a V-belt pulley 20 secured thereto. A secondary pulley 21 mounted to the motor drives the drive-shaft pulley 20 and the shaft 19 by means of the endless V-belt 23.

' More particularly to the burner housing 12, the latter is mounted to the exhaust housing 11 by means of the lugs 24 and the fastening screws 25. By means of the cast lugs 26 in the cover, the cast lugs 27 in the main casting and the fastening screws a the cover 13 is held to the exhaust housing 11. The cover is provided with four openings 28, 29, and 31. The water inlet pipe 31a is connected to the opening 31. The hot water outlet pipe is fitted to the opening 28 and the combination pressure gauge and temperature indicator is mounted to the threaded opening 29. A water level control switch 29a is mounted to the threaded opening 30 in the cover housing 13.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 3, in general the motor mounting member 18 comprises a segment-shaped section 18a and a flat motor mounting plate 18b; with the plate 18b welded to the section 18a. The plate 18b provides for vertical mounting of the motor frame 17, held to the former by means of four or more fastening bolts 18c. To secure motor mounting member 18 to the upright drive-shaft support 15, fastening bolts 18d are provided; the latter passing through clearance holes in the segment-shaped section 1801 are threaded into the wall of the shaft-support 15. At the upper end thereof, the drive-shaft support 15 is formed with a circular flange or disk 15a providing a secure mounting means for the supporting frame 14; the latter being held thereto by means of the fastening bolts 15b.

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged section through the turboboiler taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2, showing the burner housing. In general the burner housing 12 comprises a shallow ring-shaped dish 32 formed centrally thereto with a heavy inner core 33. The flange 15a of the drive-shaft supporting member 15 is bolted under the inner core 33. An oil seal 34a is mounted in a bored hole in the core 33 to prevent fuel oil spray originating in the atomizer 81 from penetrating the bearing supporting shaft 19 in shaft housing 15. Upon the extension 19a is mounted a flat circular flange or plate 34, forming the lower portion of the armature or the rotor 35 which is bolted to 19a. When the driveshaft 19 turns, driven by the pulleys 20 and 21 and the V-belt 23 operated by the electric motor 16, the flange 34 and all parts attached thereto are taken along to rotate with the shaft.

The above described circular flange 34, forming the lower section of the rotating boiler armature 35, mounts a secondary flange 36 which is called the upper armature flange; the latter being located above the lower flange 34 (see FIG. 4). In addition, the boiler armature contains a circular upright ring-shaped member 37 mounted between the flanges 34 and 36. All three together, by means of the screws and bolts 38, the tube spacers 39 and 40, and the seal washers 43 and 44 are fastened into one hermetically enclosed housing to form the rotating boiler armature 35.

To facilitate the mounting of all three, the flanges 34 and 36 and the ring 37 together, the ring member 37 has centrally thereto a ring-shaped ledge 41 extending beyond its inner diameter. The ledge 41 has a plurality of clearance holes in alignment with the holes in the flanges 34 and 36. The fastening bolts 38 pass clear through the holes in the flnage 36, the spacer 39, the plate 66 and the spacers 40 in the ledge 41 with their threaded ends 42 the bolts are screwed into the threaded openings in the flange 34. Sealing rings 43 and 44 are mounted between the ring member 37 and the flanges 34 and 36. By means of these sealing rings and the fastening screws 38 and seal washers 38a, the armature 35 is made water-tight. With the armature 35 mounted by means of the flange 34 and the shaft extension 19a securely to the drive-shaft 19, the armature turns when the shaft 19 is driven by the motor operated pulleys. The ledge 41 above referred to and the plate 66 are shown in the drawings as tWo separate pieces, but may be formed as one piece it necessary.

Circumferentially thereto the ring member 37 is pro vided upon its outer surface with a plurality of heater elements 45. In the main each element comprises a U-shaped tubular member 46 with two straight extensions or ends 47 and 48. The ends 47 and 48 are hard soldered within holes 49 drilled upon the outer surface of the ring 37. In addition thereto the element 45 has a straight length of tubing 50 secured right under the U-shaped portion 46 and between the two straight ends 47 and 48. One end 51 of the tubing 50 is hard soldered around a hole in the U-shaped portion 46 of the element 45 with the other end hard soldered into the opening 53 in the ring 37. In as much as there may be any number of elements upon the ring 37, and there are three holes provided for each element, there are as many such holes as are necessary to accommodate all the elements. For a better heat transfer each element is provided with a plurality of fiat metallic surfaces or fins 54, held to the heater element by a pair of comb plates 55 and 56. Thelatter serving to fasten the heat transfer fins to the element and to keep the fins properly spaced in respect to eachother.

The turbo-boiler herein described is provided with a water inlet means and a steam outlet means. The water enters the space formed by the cover casting 13 through the pipe and valve connection 31 and 32. From under the cover the water is piped through the inlet openings 56a formed in the flange 57 to the boilers rotor. The flange 57 is housed centrally thereto and Within the cover casting 13 and above the free space formed by the outer diameter of the upright steam outlet pipe 58 and the inner vertical hub 59 of the dip disk assembly 60. The flange 57 has a centrally bored opening permitting the passage of the steam pipe 58 into the armature. The armature of the turbo-boiler. formed by the flange 34 and 36 and the ring 37 is hollow. Within its hollow space there is a flat plate 61 with a hole centrally thereto through which passes the end 58a of the steam pipe 58. The upright hub 59 is secured to the flat plate 61 by means of a group of vane members 63, hard soldered to the hub and the plate respectively. All four, the hub 59, the plate 61, the steam pipe 58 and the vanes 63 forming What is called the dip disk assembly 60. The free space between the disk 61 and the upright hub 59 formed by the vanes 63 permits the Water to enter the hollow armature 35. The water fed to the boiler is under the main line pressure.

The flange 36 of the rotating armature 35 is provided with a plurality of radial flat fins 64 which are mounted in machined grooves 65 positioned in the path of the water. Their action is to whirl the Water entering the armature around and away from the center of rotation towards the outer periphery of the armature 35 when the armature rotates. In addition to the fins the armature has a flatshaped plate 66 with an opening 67 located centrally thereto to permit the passage of the tip 58a of the steam pipe 58 through the armature. Similar to the fins 64 in flange 36, and for the same purpose, plate 66 is also equipped with fins 69. Holes drilled upon the outer circumference of the plate 66 and aligned with the holes in the flange 36, ledge 41 and flange 34 serve to secure the plate 66, by means of the screws 33 and spacer members 39, to the rotor armature.

In general the dip disk structure 60 is formed of the hub 5?, the flat plate 61 and the vane members 63 With the steam pipe 58. More particularly to the hub 59, the latter is sealed to the circular flat plate 71 by means of a seal ring 70. Plate 71 in turn is sealed to flange 57 by the screws 75a (see FIG. 4). The cylindrical body 59 stays clear of the bored hole 36b in the portion 36a. In as much as the hub 59 is stationary in respect to the rotating flange 36 of the armature 35, the annular space between surfaces 36a and 36b serves as a connection between the inside of the armature assembly 35 and the vent line 71a. It is important to prevent Water from escaping into the exhaust housing 11. Towards this end the flange portion 73 of the housing 11 is sealed against the shaft portion of the plate 36 by means of a magnetic ring seal 72. The magnetic seal herein referred to is of commercial manufacture and its operation need not be here described. It suflices to state that the ring seal 72 hermetically seals the exhaust housing 11 from'the water chamber under the cover 13.

Referring more particularly to the burner housing 12, in general it is formed from a shallow circular dish 32. An air distributor 74 with its air guiding flange 75 is mounted within the dish 32. The flange 75 fits Within the distributor 74 and is mounted centrally thereto by means of spacers 76 which are located at various intervals along the outer circumference of the flange '75 (see FIG. A secondary group of spacers 77 positioned around the inner circumference of the flange 74 facilitate the mounting of the flange 74 centrally inside the burner housing 12. The air enters the burner housing 12 through a plurality of screened openings 78 in the lower portion of the burner housing, passes around the air distributor plate 79, following the direction of the arrows (A), and by way of the slots 75c cut around the circumference of the flange 75 finally enters the combustion chamber. Not all air enters the combustion chamber in such a manner. Some of the air traverses the free space 75b, formed by the upright Walls of the flanges 74 and 75, to enter the combustion chamber from under the lower edge 75b of the flange 75.

The fuel oil enters the combustion chamber by means of the fuel pipe connection 79 to deliver the oil to the oil distributor and atomizer disk 80. The latter consists of a circular disk 81 bolted by means of the screws 82 to the flange 34 (see FIGS. 6, 7 and 8). The disk 81 has a cirmixed with the incoming air and ignited. Under the plate a disk 81 there are a number of radial fins 86 mounted at an angle to the direction of rotation; The fins 86 serve as a fan structure to whirl the incoming air away from I the center of rotation towards the inner rim of the burner housing 12 to facilitate the mixing of the incoming air with the fuel oil mist.

The fuel oil enters the burner housing 12, following the arrows indicated by (F).

free space 88 formed by the cone 87 and the casting 33, and follows the direction indicated by the arrows (F) finally the oil passes between the surfaces of the fuel atomizer to be broken into a mist preliminary to being mixed with the incoming air and ignited by the spark-plug (S) (see FIG. 5). The retainer ring 89 which is part of the housing 33, surrounds the cone 87 and serves the purpose of retaining and preventing the oil entering the space traversed by the incoming air. When the turbo-boiler is non-operative and the fuel oil is not promptly shut-off, the

retainer ring 89 fills with oil to its upper rim. The overflowing oil is then drained through a port 33a (see FIG. 11), in the flange 33 of the burner housing 12.

While the electric motor driving the rotating armature is shown separately supported and driving the operating shaft by means of a V-belt drive, it also may be coupled directly to the armature. It is understood that due to high velocity of the rotor, exceptionally high heat transfer rates from gas to heater elements are possible. The

high efliciency of the turbo-boiler is thus caused by the rotation of the rotor 35.

Operation The turbo-boiler herein described is primarily utilized to heat water for commercial applications and for home use. In the main the boiler consists of acover housing 13, a burner housing 12 and'the spiral-shaped gasexhaust housing 11 mounted between the two. A rotating armature or rotor is housed within the space'formed bythe gas exhaust housing 11 and the burnerhousing or combustion T chamber 12. The rotor is formed by'the flange 34; the flange 36 and the ring-shaped member 37, and is hollow.

The flange 34' is held to the drive-shaft 19, driven by pulleys and a V-belt from the electric motor 16 mounted exterior to the turbo-boilers frame 14.

Inasmuch as the boiler herein described may be used as a hot water heater or steam generator if necessary, its mode of operation is two-fold, to produce hot water or to generate steam. In the latter case, the water to be turned to steam enters the cover housing 13 by way of the water inlet pipe 31. As the Water accumulates under the cover by the natural force of the water pressure in the main line, it enters the openings 56a drilled round the ring-shaped member 57, and following the path of the arrows marked (W) the water is forced into the rotating armature 35. Due to the fin action 64 and the centrifugal force generated by the rotating armature filled with water, the water is forced to disperse from the center of rotation towards the inner walls formed by the ring-shaped member 37 of the rotating armature. Inasmuch as the flat plate 66 prevents the inlet water in the rotating armature to enter the space under the plate (the plate 66 in fact divides the hollow space within the rotating armature into two separate hollow chambers), the water distributed around the inner circumference of the rotor being under the centrifugal force enters the holes drilled around the ring 37. This action introduces the water into the U- shaped heater elements 45. The water enters the ele- The oil enters the combustion l chamber by way of the lift cone 87, passes through the ments 45 through the straight tubular section of the tubing 48. Upon its further travel the water splits into two separate paths; one leading into the length of tubing marked 52 and the other into the tubing 48, both leading from the U-shaped element back towards the rotating armature of the boiler. When the boiler is utilized to provide hot water the above water circulation pattern through the boiler is reversed. In this latter case the wa ter enters the center opening shown on FIG. 2, marked 28, flows inside the boiler to the bottom, through the elements, comes up to the top, and is pumped out of the unit by the dip disk. From the dip disk it flows into the reservoir chamber on top of the unit and leaves the unit through opening 31.

The rotor including its heater elements may turn at 3000 revolutions per minute, or even more. The elements 45 are provided with heat transfer plates to facilitate the efficient transfer of the heat produced by the burning fuel oil in the combustion chamber formed by the burner housing 12. The oil enters the burner housing by way of the oil delivery pipe 79. Following the path of the arrows indicated with (F) the oil passes through the narrow space formed by the atomizer ring or disk 81 and the under portion of the flange 34. Both the disk 81 and flange 34 are bolted to the rotating armature and rotate being driven by the drive-shaft 19; By means of the right angle surfaces 85 raised above the atomizer ring the fuel is broken into a fine mist. In operation, the fuel oil passes by way of the fuel line 79 (see FIGS. 4 and 6) into the free space formed by the flange 34 and the disk 81. Because the flange 34 and the disk 81 both rotate at high speed (3000 revolutions per minute), the fuel oil which is trapped between the flange 34 and the disk 81 is reacted by the centrifugal force which is generated by the rotation of the flange 34 and disk 81 and tends to move towards the outer perimeter of the disk 81. As the fuel oil moves away from the center of rotation it is broken into fine droplets by the action of the surfaces 85. The fine droplets of fuel oil, as they leave the perimeter of the rotating disk 81, strike the hot circular gasifier (G). The air to burn the fuel enters the burner housing by way of the screened openings 78. Following the path of the arrows indicated with (A) the air enters the combustion chamber where it is mixed with the atomized fuel oil and is ignited by means of the spark-plug (S). The burning oil forms a circularshaped flame or a skirt of high temperature intensity which strikes the heater elements mounted upon the rotating rotor, transferring the caloric heat of the burning gases to the water in the elements, where the water turns to hot Water or to steam. In the case of the latter the steam collects in the hollow space formed by the armature, and under the dividing plate 66. From there the steam may be piped through the steam outlet 58 to be used for any commercial application or home use.

It may be seen that the fuel oil atomizer ring 81 is equipped with vanes 86 to act as a blower. The combustion air entering the burner housing is blown around the liner (L) as it is passed through the openings a in the liner 75. These openings are distributed around the peripher of the liner 75 in the combustion chamber in counterflow to the oil mist which is sprayed into the combustionchamber by the atomizer disk 81. In addition to the liner (L) there is a circular gasifier (G); a circular baffle surrounding the periphery of the atomizer disk and revolving with the latter. The gasifier being subjected to the intense heat of combustion converts nearly all of the oil mist striking the gasifier ring into oil gas which as soon as it is mixed with the incoming air burns with an intense flame. Thus, the combustion process consisting of atomizer, gasification and combustion is greatly accelerated resulting in an unusually high rate of heat released per unit of combustion chamber volume.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A steam or vapor generator comprising a housing, a rotor in said housing, at least a heater element on said rotor having a fluid inlet and outlet, a supply of solid fuel connected with said heater element at the inlet thereof, an exhaust opening in said housing connected with said heater element at the outlet thereof, means on said generator to rotate said rotor, a burner chamber beneath said housing including fuel supply means, means in said chamber rotatable with said means to rotate said rotor and being in the path of the supplied fuel to atomize said fuel, means to heat and gasify said atomized fuel, and air inlet guide means in said burner chamber to direct the mixture of air with said gasified fuel, means in said burner chamber to ignite said mixture of said air and gasified fuel, and means separating said rotor from said burner chamber and having an aperture defined therein to enable the fire from said ignited fuel to move from said burner chamber into said housing beneath said heater element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,026,663 Fesler May 21, 1912 1,853,682 Hechenbleikner Apr. 12, 1932 2,140,175 Starziczny Dec. 13, 1938 

